Conduit for elevating contact material



UNITED STATE .r t i hNT OFFICE C ONDUIT FOR ELEVATING CONTACT MATERIAL William L. McClure, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 2, 1952, Serial No. 264,473

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a system and apparatus for moving pneumatically granular or pelleted contact material or catalyst from a lower receptacle which receives the material in a continuous stream upwardly into and through an elongate conduit to an upper receptacle. In particular the invention is directed to the method of an apparatus for supplying gas or air to the material in the lower receptacle in order to convey it therefrom to and through the elongate conduit in such a manner as to reduce attrition of the material particles or pellets to a minimum during its passage to the upper receptacle.

It is well known in the art of catalysts, such munication with the engager receptacle while the upper end of the lift conduit communicates with an upper receptacle positioned at a level above the top of the upper reaction zone or chamber. The upper receptacle is designed so that th lifting medium is separated from the catalyst or contact material and is generaly known as the disengager.

The present invention involves a new way of conveying the catalyst, and at the same time introducing a high velocity lifting fluid, to the lower end of the lift conduit, so that the catalyst, after its conveyance to the lift conduit, will be conveyed by the lifting fluid upward through the as the cracking of heavier petroleum fractions lift conduit in a manner to reduce attrition of to gasoline and other hydrocarbon processing opthe catalyst to a minimum. erations, to use a catalytic or contact material in A complete understanding of the present ina continuous system. In such continuous sysvention may be had by reference to the followtems a conversion zone is operated simultaneousing description taken in connection with the acly with a second zone which is in regeneration. companying drawings which form a part of the Most commercial moving or continuous catalyst application in which: systems have the conversion zone and regenera- Figure 1 is an elevational View for schematicaltion zone in superposed relationship with the con- 1y showing a typical catalytic cracking system version zone usually above the regeneration zone employing a pneumatic lift for elevating pelleted so that the catalyst or contact material moves catalyst or contact material. through the conversion zone to the regeneration Figure 2 is an enlarged view in sectional elezone by gravity and after regeneration it is carvation showing the invention as applied to the ried upwardly and returned to the conversion engager portion of the system. zone to repeat the cycle of operation. To return Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, which the catalyst or contact material from the lower shows diagrammatically the conventional eleregenerating zone to the upper conversion zone ments of a continuous system, a lower receptacle two well known means applicableto the transor chamber Ml functions as a catalyst engaging portation of granular solids from One locus to zone, that is, a zone wherein the catalyst is enanother have been used, namely: by mechanical gaged by the air, flue gas or steam supplied thereconveyors and by pneumatic conveyors, in the to by suitable means. The lift pipe or elevating latter of which air, steam or flue gas produced conduit is indicated at H and has its lower end at the refinery is readily available as the pneucommunicating with the chamber In and an matic lifting medium. upper end communicating with an upper cham- It is necessary in systems employing converber 82 which is the disengaging chamber or zone sion and regeneration zones in superposed relawherein the material is disengaged from the air tionship to convey the catalyst or contact mateor other elevating medium. The lifting medium rial which is usually in pelleted or granular form is discharged from the upper chamber I 2 through through a conduit several hundred feet in length a conduit l3 and is passed to any n ti l in order to returnit from the lower reaction zone separating means such as a cyclon Separator l4 to the upper reaction zone. From the lower rehaving an upper conduit I 5 in communication action zone the material is delivered by gravity therewith to remove the lifting medium and a to a receptacle positioned at a level below that lower conduit It for removing any fines which of the lower reaction zone, from which receptacle had been entrained in the lifting medium. it is designed to effect or begin the lifting or up- The catalyst which remains in the disengager ward conveying operation. In a pneumatic lifti2 is returned through conduit I! by gravity to ing system this lowermost receptacle is generally an upper reaction chamber i8 wherein usually an known in the art as an engager since the mateon-stream reaction is effected to obtain the derial is engaged therein by the lifting flue gas or sired product and continues to flow therefrom air to effect the lifting operation. The lower end through conduit It by gravity into a lower reof the air lift conduit extends into or is in com- 66 action chamber 20 wherein the catalyst or contact material is regenerated to remove therefrom any deposits which might have been formed in the upper chamber I8. From the lower chamber 28 the catalyst or contact material continues to flow by gravity through conduit 2i and is returned to the engaging chamber Hi. The conduits l1, l9 and 2| through which the catalyst or contact material flows in returning from the disengager l2 to the engager II] are usually provided. with means for supplying steam or other gaseous purging medium thereto in order to prevent reaction products formed in chamber 18 and regeneration fumes'formed in chamber 28 from communicating with the other chambers in the unit.

Referring to Figure 2, the engager 10 receives the contact material C through conduit 2 i as explained in connection with Figure 1 and the material will acquire an angle of repose which is generally indicated by the dashed lines in Figure 2. The elevating conduit is shown at til and has its lower end portion 3| extending into the engager it. A sleeve 32 is provided about the conduit 36 which is closed at its upper end 33 and open at its lower end 34 providing a space 36, with as elevating conduit to which elevating fluid which may be air, steam or flue gas is supplied through branch conduit 3?. The branch conduit 3? is manifolded to a main conduit 38 for supplying all the elevating fluid used in the apparatus.

The elevating conduit of the present invention. is arranged to receive the contact material in what is known as dense phase by utilizing additional fluid conduits for supplying the fluid at decreased velocity and then after the contact material passes through the inlet of the conduit the lower end portion of the conduit is so adapted as to receive the elevating fluid from branch conduit 3? and to direct it into the dense phase material within the lower portion of the conduit in a manner to transform the dense phase material into dispersed phase to condition it to be elevated continuously and at desired or predetermined velocity through the elevating conduit to the upper chamber. By dense phase will be understood that the ratio of contact material to lifting or elevating fluid will be substantially greater than the ratio of contact material to the elevating fluid in dispersed. phase.

. To accomplish this the lower end portion 35 of the elevating conduit which is positioned within the engager it is provided with a plurality oi apertures t6 and the end portion 3| of the conc'n.-t is preferably tapered outwardly from its lower inlet end to, in effect, the apertured areas circumferentially of the conduit from its lower inlet end. A fluid chamber 3% is provided about the apertured portion of the conduit and is formed by a vertical wall 4i having closed upper end formed by an apertured plate i2 through which the sleeve 32 extends to have its lower open end 3 in communication with the chamber 39 to supply fiuid thereto. The chamber 3% is closed at its lower end by a plate C 3 whichmay be disposed at an angle preferably that of the angle of repose of the contact material C. The apertures ll; in the lower end portion 3i of conduit 35 supply the fluid from chamber 39 to the elevating conduit in the form of independent strea'ms'or jets.

A transverse plate G l is positioned below the chamber .39 forming a lower contact material chamber at, within the engager It and the plate is provided with an aperture dc'disposed in genprogressively increase eral alignment with the inlet end of conduit 30 for the passage of contact material to the chamber 45 from the upper portion of the engager Ill.

The plate id forms with the lower inlet end of the conduit 36 and the bottom 53 of chamber 39 a zones into which contact material is directed by utilizing fluid conduits which are in communication with the elevating fluid supply manifold 38. Due to the angle of repose of the contact material fluid spaces ll and 48 will be formed respectively above the body of material in the upper portion of the engager H! and above the material in the section 45. The branch fluid conduits 49 and till then are placed in communication with the spaces 4? and 48 respectively to supply elevating fluid thereto and direct the contact material into the zone S. Each of the branch fluid conduits 31, dd, and 59 is provided with a valve indicated respectively at 3'l 9 and 56 to regulate the supply of elevating fluid from the main conduit or fluid manifold 38. Fluid supplied directly to the contact material by conduits 49 and at will be regulated by the valves 59 and 56 so that the contact material will enter the inlet end of conduit 39 in dense phase while the elevating fluid supplied to chamber 29 from space 3% will be regulated in such volume and velocity that the fluid passing through the apertures 49 will transform the dense phase mixture of contact material and iiuid to a dispersed phase mixture in order to convey it at desired velocity through the elevating conduit 36 to the disengager I2.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for elevating granular material from a lower chamber to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating conduit having its lower inlet extending into said lower chamber and its upper open end extending into the upper chamber, means for supplying contact material to the lower chamber, said conduit having a perforated area therein in its lower end portion, said perforated area tapering progressively outwardly from its lower inlet end, a closed lifting fluid compartment surrounding said perforated area in the elevating conduit, means for supplying a regulated volume of fluid directly to the contact material in the lower chamber to move it in a dense phase mixture of contact material and fluid into the inlet end of the elevating conduit, and lifting iiuid supply means for admitting fluid to said fluid compartment for passage through the perforated area in the elevating conduit to transform the dense phase mixture into a dispersed phase mixture for passage to the upper chamber at desired velocity. V i

2. Apparatusfor elevating granular material from a lower chamber to an upper chamber which comprises an upright elevating'conduit havingits lower inlet extending into said lower chamber and its upper open end extending into theupper chamber, means for supplying contact material to the lower chamber, said conduit having a perforated area in its lower end portion, a closed lifting fluid compartmentsurrounding said perforated area in the lifting fluid conduit, a transverse partiticn extending across said lower chamber dividing it into upper and lower contact ma terial sections and said partition having an aperture' therein positioned below the inlet end of said elevating conduit providing communication between said sections, fluidsupply means incommunication withthe contact material in the upper section to direct the contact material across the transversepartition in'dense'phase into the lower 5 6 end of the elevating conduit, other fluid supply References Cited in the file of this patent means in communication with the lower section UNITED STATES PATENTS 0f the chamber to direct contact material therefrom in dense phase into the inlet end of the ele- Number Name Date Vating conduit and means for supplying lifting 5 2561771 Ardem July 1951 fluid to said compartment for directing it through FOREIGN PATENTS the perforated area in the elevating conduit in i order to transform the dense phase mixture into 33 gggg ff 13 a dispersed phase mixture for passage to the Germany 1915 upper chamber at desired velocity. 10 7 075 Netherlands June 15 1922 

